EPA Center for Corporate Climate Leadership

The Agency has decided to discontinue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) involvement with the 2018 Climate Leadership Awards program. This includes canceling the 2018 Climate Leadership Awards as well as EPA’s sponsorship of the Climate Leadership Conference.

Complete the application package, save it to your computer, and submit a copy with all required supporting materials by e-mail to applications@ClimateLeadershipAwards.org with the following subject line: Application for Excellence in GHG Management (Goal Achievement Award).

Please Note: If applying for an award in more than one category, submissions must be made separately for each. An organization may not reapply for an award category in which it has won in the past two years (e.g., an organization that won in a category in 2016 may not reapply for the same category until the 2019 awards, however, it can apply in another category if it meets the eligibility requirements for that category).

Goal Achievement Award Eligibility Requirements

Applicants for the Excellence in GHG Management (Goal Achievement Award) must meet the following eligibility requirements:

General Requirements

Applicants must have significant operations in the United States. Given the global nature of climate change, the majority of greenhouse gas emissions reductions do not have to occur in the United States.

Meet one of the following descriptions:

Legally-recognized corporate organization with annual revenue over $100 million; or

Finalists will need to pass an EPA compliance screen in order to be selected.

Leadership activities (in this case, goal achievement) must have taken place between January 1, 2014 and September 26, 2017.

GHG Inventory & Verification Requirements

GHG inventories for base year and achievement year must be publicly reported and include both scope 1 and 2 emissions. If the organization has a GHG reduction goal with an achievement year of 2015 or later, the organization must report both location-based and market-based scope 2 emissions for both the base year and the achievement year.

Inventories must be third-party verified to at least a limited level of assurance or have been through a third-party critical review. If scope 3 emissions or direct or indirect biogenic emissions are included as part of the applicant's goal, these must also undergo third-party verification.

Third-party verified GHG inventory statements are required for BOTH base year and achievement year.

An organization’s GHG inventory must include all scope 1 and 2 sources, with the exception of small sources that are cumulatively equal to or less than 5% of total emissions.

For organizations that include all GHG inventory sources, up to 5% of emissions of their inventory can be accounted for using simplified estimation methods.

For organizations that have determined certain sources are immaterial and do not include them in their inventory, those sources should be documented in their inventory management plan and verification statement.

If base year emissions have changed by 5% or more as a result of structural change, a change in calculation methodologies, or because of a discovered error, applicants must adjust the base year inventory to reflect this correction or change. If the organization has a GHG reduction goal with an achievement year of 2015 or later, the organization must include both location-based and market-based scope 2 emissions in its reported GHG inventory for the base year, regardless of the magnitude of the change from previously reported scope 2 emissions.

If adjustments of 5% or more are made to the base year emissions, a third-party verification body or critical reviewer must attest to the accuracy of the base year adjustment. Base years for goals with achievement years of 2015 or later must be adjusted to meet the updated Scope 2 reporting requirements. Verification or third-party critical review of the adjustment is also required if the difference between newly reported base year location-based or market-based scope 2 emissions and previously reported base year scope 2 emissions is 5% or more.

Base year reports accepted by EPA as part of the Climate Leaders program that were reviewed by an EPA-contracted reviewer, have had no further base year adjustments, and have been found to be consistent with the requirements of that program, are accepted as critical review, provided that the difference between newly reported base year location-based or market-based scope 2 emissions and previously reported base year scope 2 emissions is less than 5%.

If an organization changes its reporting approach (e.g., from a calendar year to a fiscal year-basis) during the goal period it must provide emissions data for the period of time not reflected in the achievement year inventory so as to demonstrate that the organization would have still achieved the original goal had the reporting approach not changed. While verification of that data is recommended, it is not required. Alternately, organizations can elect to adjust the base year to conform to the reporting approach of the achievement year – in which case verification of the adjustment would be needed if the change in emissions is 5% or greater.

GHG Reduction Goal Requirements

The goal must be publicly announced.

The geographic boundaries of the goal and GHG inventory must include all U.S. operations, all North America operations, or all global operations. Within the chosen geographic boundaries, the reduction goal should include all scope 1 and 2 (either location-based or market-based) emissions sources that are included in the inventory. The goal boundaries must remain consistent throughout the goal period.

The goal achieved must be an absolute reduction goal. Intensity goals will only be accepted if accompanied by a publicly announced absolute reduction goal (former EPA Climate Leaders intensity goals will only be recognized if an absolute reduction was also achieved).

The base year for a first generation goal may not be more than four years prior to the year the goal was publicly announced. For instance, for first generation goals set in 2016, 2012 would be the earliest base year accepted. Subsequent goals may use the same base year as a previous goal, provided that the new goal extends the goal period by three years at a minimum.

The goal period (the time between the base year and achievement year) should be no less than three and no more than 12 years for a first generation goal. Subsequent goals that use the same base year may extend the previous goal period by no fewer than three and no more than 12 years.

The timeframe between the goal being set and achieved must be least three years.

Goals must represent an aggressive reduction, which is defined as follows:

An organization’s first goal must commit to at least a 1.8% reduction per year over the life of the goal. For example, a 5-year goal must commit to at least 9% total reduction.

A subsequent goal with a new base year must also commit to at least a 1.8% reduction per year over the life of the goal. For example, a 5-year goal must commit to at least 9% total reduction. (An organization may substantiate their case for a subsequent goal that is below the required 1.8% threshold but that has ≥1% reduction per year, such as a goal considered aggressive in a specific sector.)

If an organization has a subsequent goal that is using the same base year as a previous goal, please see Frequent Questions for additional guidance.

Disclosure of GHG Mitigation Activities

Identify at least three GHG mitigation activities that contributed to the reduction of overall emissions in order to demonstrate that planned reductions were not the result of organic growth or decline. These activities should reflect the applicant’s most impactful strategies and should ideally be in addition to renewable electricity or offset purchases. Activities relating to supply chain management may be included if the goal incorporated scope 3 reductions.

For more specific information on third party verification, reporting GHGs, or the use of RECs and offsets, please refer to Frequent Questions.